Statement time has arrived, and the Bulls can ill afford to squander a syllable.

USF's case for an NCAA regional must commence tonight at Houston's Cougar Field, where the Bulls (21-15, 7-5 American Athletic Conference) embark on a three-game series against the 12th-ranked Cougars (27-9, 4-5).

Any postponement of momentum will be too late. The Bulls, 0-4 against ranked opposition this year, not only must find their groove tonight, but remain in it. If they can, a postseason berth is salvageable.

Half of USF's last 20 games are against teams ranked in a top-25 poll, with seven of those on the road. A 7-3 record against ranked foes down the stretch would give USF a .500 season mark against top-25 teams and boost its feeble RPI (159th per college RPI expert Warren Nolan).

The Bulls enter tonight's game on a two-game win streak following Tuesday's 10-3 home rout of Stetson. They take a .270 team batting average into the Houston series, where they'll face a weekend rotation with a collective ERA below 2.50.

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South Florida Bulls fans, you've come to the right place: the USF Sports Bulletin blog. Tampa Bay Times sportswriter Joey Knight, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin, and we invite your participation in the comments area. Follow the Times' coverage of USF athletics on Twitter.